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2 Sheets.-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

HIMME'R.

WATOHMANS TIME RECORDER.

Patented Jan. 11, 1887.

INVENTOR 72mm we); %W M WITNESSES jmwww ATTORNEYS N. PETERS.Phom-Lithulmpher. Washinglan. D. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V. HIMMER.

WATOHMANS TIME RECORDER. No. 356,070. I Patented Jan. 11, 1887. 12 .2. 0R

wnrunssns: I INVENTQR 2L1 4W M TT RNEYS N PETERS, Pbaln-Lilhngnpher,Walhlnglon, o. c.-

- UNITED STATES PATENT O 'EICE.

vrrALIs HIMMER, OF. NEW YORK, N. Y., AssIeNoE TO THE STANDARD ELECTRICCLOCK COMPANY, or sAME PLACE.

WATCHMANS TIME-RECORDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,070, dated January,11, 1887.

Application filed April 9, 1886. Serial No. 198,371. (No model.)

T0 ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VITALIs HIMM'ER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVatchmens Clocks,of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to that class of watchmens clocks in which arecording-dial is retated by a main clock, and is marked by a penciloperated by electricity when the watchman closes an electric circuit.

The obj ects of my invention are, first, to provide an improved methodof indicating and recording the presence of awatchman at designatedplaces at appointed times; second,

where a watchman is required at an appointed hour to make a tour ofcertain places in a des ignated succession, to provide means whereby arecord will be made only when said places are visited in the correctorder; and, third, to provide an automatic device by which,when theround is made upon the recording-dial, a signal will be sent back to thewatchman, thus notifying him that electrical connection has been made. Iattain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of the mainclock (part of the dial being removed) and of the recordingdial and allthe mechanism. Fig.

2 is a side view of the mechanism connecting.

the main clock with the recording-dial. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side viewof the recordingdial, and mechanism for rotating the same.

Fig. 4. is an enlarged front View of the recording-dial, part of thesame being removed, to show the parts rotating the same, and also of thepencil and electrical connections. Fig. 5 is a side view of a part ofthe mechanism for making the electrical connection with designatedplaces in an appointed order. Fig. 6 is an enlarged front view of theratchet-wheel X and pawl 0. Fig. 7 is an enlarged section of a portionof said wheel. Fig. 8 is an enlarged side view of the pencil.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throu ghout the several views.

A is the dial of the main clock, supported by a suitable case, 13. Uponthe shaft of its hour-hand is a pinion, O, which gears with a pinion,D,at one end of the shaft E, at the otherend of whichis apinion, F,gearing with a pinion, G, upon the shaft of the plate H, which carriesthe record-dial I. Thesaid pinions are so arranged that, upon eachrotation of the hour-hand of the main clock, the plate H, carrying therecording-dial I,will make one rotation. The recording-dial is printedwith figures corresponding with the hour-figures upon the mainclock-dial, and it should be so placed upon the plate II that the figurebeneath the recording-pencil shall correspond with that to which thehour-hand points.

The recording-dial I should be made of pa per or other substance easilymarked, and it is held upon the plate II by means of the spider orspring fingers J, which are removable and are held in place by a screwornut, K.

L is a recording-pencil having a lead or metal point, M, passing througha holder, N, Fig. 8, and which, as it wears away, is kept constantly inContact with the recording-dial I by means of the spring 0. A secondspring, 0, bears lightly against the side of the lead M to prevent itfrom slipping. The pencil L is attached by a pivot, P, to an elbow, Q,of the armature R, its proper position when in operation being in linewith said elbow Q, in which position it may be held by a pin and socket,S S, the pencil being sufficiently elastic to allow the pin to springinto its socket. By means of this pivot the pencil maybe swung aside, asshown inFig. 4, when adjusting the dial 1 or the lead. M. The armature Ris pivoted at T, so as to swing into contact with the magnet U whenelectrical connection is made, and so as to be drawn away from saidmagnet by the spring V when electrical connection is broken. Thus by themovement of the armature R the pencil L will move downward and the leador point M will mark the dial I, as shown in Fig. 4., thus recording thetime at which the electrical connection was made.

The armature R is jointed at 9, so as to allow IOO rial are any requirednumber ofbinding-posts, such as l to 10, Fig. 4, each electricallyconnected with a push-button or other circuit making and breakingdevice, 1" to 10", at designated places at which a watchman is to bepresent at an appointed hour. Each of these bindingposts is alsoelectrically connected with a separate electrical terminal or pin ofconducting material, 1 to 10, inserted in the insulatingplate \V, theends being flush with the plate. They are arranged in an arc of acircle. Above them is the circuit making and breaking ratchet-wheel X ofconducting material pivoted upon the plate I) of conducting material.The plate Z1 is in the same plane with the plate \V. so that the twoplates 7) and \V form a smooth surface, above which the ratchet X moves.The ratchet X is so placed as to be concentric with the circle in an arcof which said pins 1 to 10 are placed. In the ratchet-wheel X areperforated nipples Y upon its rower side, through which loosely passconducting-pins Z Z Z, so arranged that in the rotation of theratchetwheel X each of 0 these pins Z will come in contact with andelectrically connect with each of the pins 1 to 10, successively. Eachpin Z is kept constantly but very lightly in contact with the plates \Vand I), upon which the ratchet X revolves, by means of a very elasticsteel spring, a and these plates W and b are so placed, as shown in Fig.6, that two of the pins Z are always in connection with the plate I),while oneof them is always in connection with some one of the pins 1 to10.

As shown in Fig. l, the plate bis connected by wire ewithone end ofthecoil of magnet U, the other end of said coil being connected to thebattery i by wire (I. The opposite side of said battery is connectedwith the buttons 1" to 10" at the distant stations. Thus, when thewatchman at the designated station touches the button at that stationas,for instance, 9", Fig. lelcctrical connection will be made with themagnet U through the pins 9 and 9 and Z, Fig. 4-, spring a, ratchet X,plate I), and wire 0, one of the pins Z being at that moment in contactwith the pin 9inthe plates "\V, with which the button 9 is connected. Amarl; will thus be made upon the dial I; but no electrical connectionwill be made, and no record will be made upon thedial I if any otherbutton is pressed at this time. Hence, if the watchman fails to be atthe designated station at the time when the pin Z is in contact with thepin which is electrically connected with that station, his failure willappear by the absence of a mark upon the dial.

The method of revolving the ratchet X is as follows: At the lower end ofthe armature is a pawl, c, which at each movement of the arma ture awayfrom the magnet U moves forward the ratehct-wheelX one tooth, by meansof the spring V; and each time the armature R is drawn to the magnet thepawl ewill be moved so as to engage the next tooth of the ratchetXnamely, into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. at. Theadjusting screw-stopf, against which the pawl 0 comes in contact whendrawn away from the magnet, adjusts its movement in this direction, andthe setscrew 71, below the joint of the armature, adjusts the movementof the pawl c in the opposite direction. By means of the two set-screwsf and h the movement of the pawl may thus be exactly adjusted. Thus eachtime the watchman, by pressing the button, makes electrical connection,the pawl 0 will be'pullcd back and engage a tooth of the ratchet-wheel,and when the watchman releases the button, thus breaking electricalconnection, the ratchet-wheel-X will be moved forward one tooth. Themove ment of the ratchet occurring only when electrical connection isbroken, there will be no spark when the pin Z moves away from the pins 1to 10.

The number of teeth in the ratchet-wheel X should be the same as thenumber of bindingposts, one to ten, or a multiple of that num ber,corresponding with the number of pins carried by ratchet-wheel X. Thus,it there are three of these pins Z, as shown in Fig. 4-, and if thenumber ot'bimling-posts is ten, then the number of teeth on the ratchetwheel should be thirty, as shown in Figs. at and (i.

The pins Z must be placed in such position thatone of the pins Z will bein contact with some one of the pins 1 to 10 whenever the ratchet-wheelX is at rest; and the pins Z must be placed at such distance apart thatat each movement of the ratchet wheel X one of them will come intocontact with the next pin of the series 1 to 10. The pins Z should heplaced at such distance apart upon the ratchetwhcel X that when onemoves away from the last of the pins, 10, another will move into contactwith the first ot' the series, 1", as shown in Fig. 6. Thus there isnever a time when any two of the pins 1 to 1t) are in electricalconnection, and yet at all times there mustbe one of said pins inelectrical connection with the magnet U.

In using the devices above described, it it is a watchmans duty to passthrough a building once every hour, and so to be at the ten diiierentstations in succession at which are the buttons 1" to 10", connectedwith the bindingposts l to 10, he will be able to record his presenceupon the recording-dial I by pressing the buttons in their designatedorder. For the device being set so that one of the pins Z rests upon thepin 1, upon pressing the button 1", connected with binding-post 1, hemoves the armature and pencil, and upon releasing the button theratchet-wheel moves forward so as to make, electrical connection withthe binding-post 2. By the time he has reached the button 2", connectedwith binding-post 2, the recording-dial I will have moved slightly, sothat upon pressing that button the mark of the pencil will not be madein the same place as the last. It, therefore, he should fail to pressthe button connected with this bindingpost, but shall by negligence passit over and ICC IIO

press another button there would be norecord on the dial; hence, if thewatchman makes his round properly at the appointed time and presses thebuttons in their proper order, the recording dial will indicate thefact. It is best for the watchman to be instructed to be at thesuccessive stations 1 to 10" at intervals of, say, iive minutes, so thatthe dial I will have time to move the last mark from under the pencil.

It is evident that when the watchman releases the button 10" theratchet-wheel X will move the pin Z into'contact with 1*, Fig. 4, sothat the apparatus will be ready for the watchman to make his nextround, commencing with button 1.

In order that the watchman may know whether or not he had touched thebuttons in their proper order, I place an electric bell in the circuit,near each of the buttons 1" to 10". These are shown in Fig. 1 by numbers1 to 10. If, therefore,a watchman should omit to press a button in theorder of his round, he would be notified of his mistake by the failureof the next bell to sound, and he could easily rectify the error bycommencing the round again, as the bell will notify him when he reachesthe bell previously omitted.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. 'In a watchnians clock, the armature It, carrying a pencil and apawl,the pencil being in combination with a recordingdial and the pawl beingin combination with thecircuitchanging ratchet X, said ratchet beingelectrically connected with the magnet that attracts said armature andat each movement breaking electrical connection with one of a series ofcircuit-making buttons, 1", at distant stations and making electricalconnection with another, substantially as described.

2. In a watchmans clock, the dial. I, magnet U, having an armature,combined with a recordingpencil, the circuit-making button 1" andelectric hell 1, said button and bell being in the same electriccircuit, substantially as described.

3. In a watchmans clock, the pencilL,having the niarkingpoint M, andsprings O and O, in combination with a recordingdial and the armature ofa magnet, substantially as described.

4L. In a watchmans clock, the series of any suitable number of electricterminals 1 to 10 each insulated from the next and each electricallyconnected with, a separate circuit-making device at a distant station,in combination with a circuit-changing ratchet, X, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a watchmans clock, the ratchet X, pin Z, and spring a, incombination with the insulating-plate WV, having a series of electricalterminals flush with its surface, substantially as described.

6. In a watchmans clock having a recording dial and pencil, the jointedarmature It, bearing the pawl e, in combination with the adjustingsetscrews f and 72, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature,in presence of two witnesses,this 8th day of April, 1886.

VITALIS HIMMER.

Witnesses:

O. WYLLYs Burrs, J. E. HINDON HYDE.

